Parabrosmolus novaeguineae, a new genus and species of the subfamily Brosmophycinae from Papua New Guinea (Bythitidae, Ophidiiformes)

Abstract

Parabrosmolus novaeguineae, a new genus and species of the subfamily Brosmophycinae (family Bythitidae) is described, based on a single specimen from Papua New Guinea. The genus is unique in the tribe Brosmophycini in having six branchiostegal rays and ten precaudal vertebrae, and is also similarly distinguished from two brosmophycine genera,Melodichthys andBeaglichthys, tribal allocations of the two latter being uncertain.Parabrosmolus also differs from all other genera in the subfamily by the following combination of characters: head scaly, anal fin origin slightly before midpoint of body, eye diameter shorter than snout length, three developed rakers on first gill arch and 16 (14+2) caudal fin rays.